Stubborn Lovin'
by Danny'sGirlSG1
Summary: “But the real important reason why is cause I care about you, and I wanna be here.” Cam/Carolyn - Written for sg-15-fic on LJ.


**Title:** Stubborn Lovin'  
**Author:** Pip (dannysgirlsg1)  
**Summary:** "But the real important reason why is cause I care about you, and I wanna be here."  
**Rating:** G  
**Spoilers/Warnings:** References to Daniel/Vala.  
**A/N:** Written for sg-15-fic, table 4, prompt 08: Sickness. I figured I'd take a stab at Cam/Carolyn fic, since they are ship that's just as fun as DV!

--

**Stubborn Lovin'**

Muffled cursing following a cacophony of bangs was the first sound that greeted him as he opened the front door. Frowning curiously, he placed his backpack down by the doorway and moved towards the kitchen where all the ruckus as coming from.

Cam stopped for a moment in the entryway as he took in the sight. Carolyn stood up on her tiptoes on a chair, reaching blinding into the top shelf of the cabinet by the fridge. Along the counter, on the chair by her feet, and around her on the floor were various spices and herbs.

He watched for a moment longer, until she started to cough - a wet, nasty cough - and about fell from her perch. He was at her side in two long strides, arms going around her waist.

"Alright, time to get down." Cam said as Carolyn coughed into her wrist.

She shook her head, pushing at him weakly with her free hand.

Cameron nodded, gently picking her up and placing her safely on the cold tile floor.

"I wasn't done." Carolyn muttered through a stuffy nose, her words coming out thick.

He held tight to her as she moved to climb back on the chair. "Ah, no. You are done." Cam placed his hands on her upper arms and turned her toward him. The slight pout on her flushed face made him wonder if she'd been spending just a little too much time with Jackson's girl. "What were you doin' up there anyway?"

Carolyn sniffed, scowling at the tone he used. "I wanted some tea."

"Well, alright." Cam nodded, guiding her around and ushering her towards her living room couch.

"Tea's not this way." She mumbled childishly, tugging her sweater tighter around herself.

He couldn't help but smile at her attitude. "No, the couch is this way."

Carolyn trudged on lethargically. "But I want tea."

"I got that." Cameron turned her again, and pushed her gently to a sitting position on the edge of the couch. He knelt down and met her annoyed glare head on. "But you are too sick to be climbin' kitchen chairs to get it."

She pouted again, and he was sure she'd spent too much time with Vala. "I don't get sick."

Cam nodded. "I'm gonna have to say you do."

Frowning, Carolyn tugged on her sweater again. "Well, I can take care of myself." She pointed a finger at him. "Don't need any help from you."

He placed a hand to his chest. "See, now that hurts. I came all this way..." Cam trailed off as he stood back up while pushing her to lie down at the same time. "Lay here, get some rest..." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'll make the tea."

Carolyn merely sniffed and looked at the floor, still pouting.

--

She was practically asleep by the time the tea was finished and he'd carried a mug out to her. It took a lot of effort to get her to sit up and start drinking the hot liquid. Cam noticed her hands shaking slightly, but didn't say a word.

"Why are you here?" Carolyn mumbled between sips, staring at his knees as he sat on the edge of her coffee table.

"'It should be obvious." He answered.

Her brown eyes flicked an annoyed glance upward. "Humor me."

Cam sighed. "Carolyn, you're sick. Maybe I wanted to, ya know, take care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of." She muttered back, continuing to drink her tea and not look at him. Her head was pounding too hard to put up with him.

"Don't need to or don't want to?" There was an understanding tone weaved in that southern accent that she normally found charming - now it was just annoying.

Carolyn sat up quickly, handing off her cup to him. "I'm done." She didn't even look his way as she lay back down against the couch cushions, wrapping her arms tight around herself. "Wash it, put it away, and then leave please."

Cam didn't reply in words, simply rising from the table and taking the mug to the kitchen. Carolyn listened, letting the sound of the running water lead her into sleep.

--

Carolyn didn't know how long she'd been asleep, but that really didn't seem to matter seeing as she now felt ten times worse than when she'd drifted off. She shifted onto her left side, moaning as her stiff muscles protested to the movement.

Adjusting how her head lay on the pillow that had magically appeared while she'd been sleeping, Carolyn listened for any other sound coming from the house. She didn't really hear anything that normally wasn't there, but of course the slight ringing in her ears wasn't making the task easy.

She sniffed, face contorting into a miserable frown. She was sick, she was miserable, and now she was alone. A chill shot up her fevered body, causing her to shiver.

"Great, now I'm cold too." Carolyn mumbled, knowing all her blankets were in the hall closest and that she just didn't have the energy to get up to grab one. Now, she just had another reason to suffer.

The sudden weight of a blanket covering her body startled her, and she practically fell off the couch as she bolted upright.

"Whoa, easy there." Cam laughed softly, placing gentle hands on her shoulders to steady her.

Carolyn blinked up at him in surprise. "You're still here…" Her voice was a mix of awe and relief. It angered her slightly because she hated sounding so damn vulnerable.

Again he laughed. "You didn't seriously think I was gonna leave you here, sick and miserable?"

She looked to the floor, a faint flush coming to her face that wasn't caused by the fever. "I didn't hear you…"

"I was tryin' to be all gentlemen like and be quiet so you could sleep…" Cam smiled at her, laying his hand over her forehead. "And I'm thinkin' we should get right back to that."

Carolyn found she could merely nod. She let Cam gently push her back down and draw the blanket up around her. She yawned, drifting back off to sleep before she could tell him she was happy he hadn't listened to her earlier. As she slept, dreams of loneliness and Cameron not being there to help plagued her.

--

The next time she opened her eyes, the room was cast in the dull glow of twilight and the flickering blue light of a TV she hardly used. Long, slender, jean-clad legs stretched out before her, crossing at the ankles over her coffee table, and that was when she realized her head wasn't resting on the couch anymore.

Carolyn just lay there for a moment, watching the channels slowly flip by and listening to the slow, steady breathing that accompanied the rise and fall of the stomach her head rested on. As something familiar flashed across the screen for a quick second, she reached out and lightly touched one of his legs.

"Go back?" Her voice had seemed to have abandoned her, words coming out just above a whisper.

"Alright." The tone of Cam's voice was soft, almost in a pliable sense. He flicked back the few channels to where Carolyn had spotted something to watch. He couldn't help quirk a smile at what danced across the screen. "Dumbo?"

She nodded. "The one time I ever remember my dad staying with me when I was sick, we watched Dumbo together."

Cam looked down at Carolyn, at how her voice sounded so small, so embarrassed. He knew it was hard for her to appear so vulnerable because she'd relied on being so tough for so long.

"Dumbo it is then." He said after a moment, tossing the remote down the couch. When he looked back down at her, she had finally shifted her gaze to meet his. Her brown eyes watched him curiously.

"What?" Cam asked, quirking a smile.

Carolyn bit her lip a little. "Why are you here?" As Cameron's smile fell just a little, she shook her head. "I don't mean it like I said earlier…I mean, why are you here, dealing with some pathetic little sick woman, when you could be out with your team or…just, not here?"

He nodded thoughtfully, a knowing smile gracing his lips. "Well, first of all, I don't think I wanna be hangin' with the team, 'cause Princess caught the same bug you got, so I can say I honestly don't envy Jackson right now." Carolyn ventured a small smile, her eyes closing.

She opened them as Cam started to brush his fingers through her damp hair. "But the real important reason why is cause I care about you, and I wanna be here." His blue eyes flicked up towards the tv. "Plus Dumbo is on, and who can pass up them singing crows?"

Laughing away the tears his words had brought to her eyes, Carolyn snuggled her nose into his stomach. "Love you, Cameron…" She sighed before drifting off to sleep once more.

Cam smiled, leaning over to snatch the remote back up. Switching the tv off, he tossed the remote on the table and shifted so he was laying down on his back. He pulled Carolyn in close to his chest and kissed the top of her head.

"Love you too…" He let the last word linger on his lips for a moment, not sure if was his place to say it yet. But as Carolyn snuggled closer to him, hand griping tightly to his shirt, all Cam's worries seemed to melt.

"Baby." It was the last soft word he whispered to her before drifting off to sleep himself.

--

**Reviews are definitely appreciated!**


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